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Background: Few recent studies examined acute effects on health of individual chemical species in the particulate matter (PM) mixture, and most of them have been conducted in North America. Studies in Southern Europe are scarce. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between particulate matter constituents and daily hospital admissions and mortality in five cities in Southern Europe., Methods: The study included five cities in Southern Europe, three cities in Spain: Barcelona (2003-2010), Madrid (2007-2008) and Huelva (2003-2010); and two cities in Italy: Rome (2005-2007) and Bologna (2011-2013). A case-crossover design was used to link cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions and total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality with a pre-defined list of 16 PM10 and PM2.5 constituents. Lags 0 to 2 were examined. City-specific results were combined by random-effects meta-analysis., Results: Most of the elements studied, namely EC, SO4(2-), SiO2, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, Ti, Mn, V and Ni, showed increased percent changes in cardiovascular and/or respiratory hospitalizations, mainly at lags 0 and 1. The percent increase by one interquartile range (IQR) change ranged from 0.69% to 3.29%. After adjustment for total PM levels, only associations for Mn, Zn and Ni remained significant. For mortality, although positive associations were identified (Fe and Ti for total mortality; EC and Mg for cardiovascular mortality; and NO3(-) for respiratory mortality) the patterns were less clear., Conclusions: The associations found in this study reflect that several PM constituents, originating from different sources, may drive previously reported results between PM and hospital admissions in the Mediterranean area., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work describes the first analytical method specifically developed for the multianalyte determination of several drugs of abuse and their metabolites in air. The methodology is based on pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) of atmospheric particles collected by means of high volume sampler equipped with quartz microfiber filters and subsequent analysis of the extracts by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Up to 17 different compounds belonging to five different chemical classes (cocainics, amphetamine-like compounds, opioids, cannabinoids, and lysergic compounds) are determined by means of this methodology. Acquisition is performed in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode recording two transitions per compound (except for amphetamine). Quantitation by the internal standard method is based on the use of surrogated deuterated standards. The method has been validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, repeatability and sensitivity with satisfactory results. Absolute recoveries were above 50% for most investigated compounds. Method precision showed relative standard deviations (RSD) below 13% for all compounds, except for cannabinoids. The method limits of determination ranged from 0.35 pg/m(3) (for 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD) to 22.55 pg/m(3) (for 11-nor-9 carboxy THC). Finally, as a part of the method validation, the optimized procedure was applied to the analysis of ambient air samples (fine grain-size particulates, PM(2.5)) collected at two urban background sites in Barcelona and Madrid (Spain). Results evidenced the presence of cocaine, benzoilecgonine, tetrahydrocannabinol, ecstasy, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and heroin in some or all of the samples investigated. The highest mean daily levels corresponded to cocaine (850 pg/m(3)) followed by heroin (143 pg/m(3)).

Source apportionment study was performed, applying principal component analysis to the results of 221 chemical analyses of PM10 and PM2.5 samples collected daily from the industrial (but low traffic) Spanish town of Puertollano over a 14-month period during 2004-2005. Results reveal compositional variations attributable to different mixtures of natural and anthropogenic materials, mainly soil and rock dust (crustal), marine salt (only in PM10), petrochemical refinery emissions, and particles attributed to the combustion of local coal, which is unusually rich in Pb and Sb. During the study period there were 34 pollution episodes when PM10 exceeded 50 tg m(-3), mostly due to winter air temperature inversions, regional atmospheric stagnation, or African dust incursions (North African, NAF days: usually in summer). Whereas the crustal component during NAF episodes averaged 52% with a PM2.5/PM10 ratio of 0.54, this dropped to 29% and a PM2.5/PM10 of 0.67 during non-NAF days when anthropogenic materials predominated. Abnormally enhanced concentrations of pathfinder metallic trace elements provide additional evidence for source apportionment: thus aerosols with raised levels of Pb and Sb are associated with local coal combustion, Ni and V can be linked to petrochemical PM emissions, and Ti, Mn, Rb, and Ce are particularly characteristic of crustal dust incursions.

The inorganic and organic geochemistry of aerosol particulate matter (APM) was studied in a major olive grove area from Southwest Europe (Baena, Spain). The biomass consists of olive tree branches and the solid waste resulting of the olive oil production. Moreover, high PM 10 levels were obtained (31.5 μg m − 3 ), with two days of exceedance of the daily limit of 50 μg m − 3 (2008/50/CE; EU, 2008) during the experimental period. A high mean levoglucosan concentration was obtained representing up 95% of the total mass of the isomers analysed (280 ng m − 3 ), while galactosan and mannosan mean concentrations were lower (8.64 ng m − 3 and 7.86 ng m − 3 , respectively). The contribution of wood smoke in Baena was estimated, representing 19% of OC and 17% of OM total mass. Positive matrix factor (PMF) was applied to the organic and inorganic aerosols data, which has permitted the identification of five source categories: biomass burning, traffic, mineral dust, marine aerosol and SIC (secondary inorganic compounds). The biomass burning category reached the highest mean contribution to the PM 10 mass (41%, 17.6 μg m − 3 ). In light of these results, the use of biomass resulting from the olive oil production for residential heating and industry must be considered the most important aerosol source during the winter months. The results of this paper can be extrapolated to other olive oil producing areas in the Mediterranean basin. Therefore, a fuller understanding of this type of biomass combustion is required in order to be able to establish appropriate polices and reduce the environmental impact on the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The chemical composition of size-segregated particulate matter (PM) was studied during summer and winter sampling campaigns, at two different urban sites (roadside and urban background) in the city of Madrid, Spain. PM was sampled with high volume cascade impactors, in 4 size ranges: 10–2.5, 2.5–1, 1–0.5 and <0.5μm. The carbonaceous content (OC and EC) was determined by a thermo-optical method, whilst the water soluble ionic species were measured by ion chromatography. The most common synoptic meteorological situations, including those causing the transport of African dusty air masses, were identified in both seasons. Whether the PM10 mass or the highest concentrations of EC and OC were found predominantly in the ultrafine size fraction at both sites. In contrast with roadside, at the urban background, the particle mass concentrations for the different size ranges were statistically higher in summer than in winter. Observed inter-site differences suggest the existence of other sources and formation processes contributing in the summer period to the levels of PM at the urban background site apart from road traffic emissions. Secondary organic carbon (SOC) showed a clear seasonal pattern, with much higher concentrations in summer than in winter in both places, as well as higher relative contributions at the urban background than at the road traffic site. (NH4)2SO4 levels were at their maximum at both sites in summer in PM0.5. Differently, higher values were reached in winter for NH4NO3 in PM0.5 and for NaCl in PM2.5–10. From the ion balances, it was observed that, in summer, the formation of secondary inorganic compounds included an unusual enrichment in Ca2+ in the submicrometre fraction, either at roadside or at urban background. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Madrid, the largest city of Spain, has some and unique air pollution problems, such as emissions from residential coal burning, a huge vehicle fleet and frequent African dust outbreaks, along with the lack of industrial emissions. The chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) was studied during summer and winter sampling campaigns, conducted in order to obtain size-segregated information at two different urban sites (roadside and urban background). PM was sampled with high volume cascade impactors, with 4 stages: 10–2.5, 2.5–1, 1–0.5 and <0.5μm. Samples were solvent extracted and organic compounds were identified and quantified by GC-MS. Alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alcohols and fatty acids were chromatographically resolved. The PM1–2.5 was the fraction with the highest mass percentage of organics. Acids were the organic compounds that dominated all particle size fractions. Different organic compounds presented apparently different seasonal characteristics, reflecting distinct emission sources, such as vehicle exhausts and biogenic sources. The benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentrations were lower than 1ngm−3. The estimated carcinogenic risk is low. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]